Senior Indonesia Police Officer Receives Death Penalty

Indonesia’s police force have had a reputation for developing violence and impunity cases but the murder case involving Police Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat shocked the nation.

Born on November 29th in 1994, the Indonesian National Police officer was shot dead on July 8th 2022, age 27. According to many news articles, the late officer was shot dead at “the home of Ferdy Sambo, one of Indonesia’s most senior police officers and its head of internal affairs — the department responsible for police conduct”.

Just months after the murder of the young police officer, in August 2022, murders were charged. The charges were made against Hutabarat’s former boss Ferdy Sambo, his wife, and three other people. Hutabarat’s former boss, Sambo, the former head of Indonesia’s Internal Affairs department and a two-star general, was sentenced to the death penalty recently by Chief Justice Wahyu Imam Santoso. The sentence was for the killing of his aide-decamp, Police Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, in a case widely seen as a litmus test of police accountability in Indonesia.

Judge Santoso stated, “The defendant [Sambo] embarrassed Indonesia’s police force both at home and internationally, and involved other members of the police force in his crime”. His sentence took four hours to read, in which the Judge and the panel of two other judges said that “Sambo had planned the murder of Hutabarat” and had conspired to cover up the evidence of the crime by “destroying closed-circuit video footage”.

The prosecution had asked for a life sentence, suggesting an affair between Hutabarat and Sambo’s wife, Putri Candrawathi. This piece of information provided a motive for killing. As per reports, “Candrawathi was also on trial alongside Sambo, also charged with premeditated murder”.

In defence, the couple claimed that Hutabarat had “sexually assaulted” Candrawathi before he was shot dead by their bodyguard. However, the Chief Justice concluded there was “no evidence that any sexual assault had taken place”. Despite the attempt, the allegation of the affair did not need to be proved as the motive for the crime as “Indonesian law only needed to prove that a crime had been committed and that the accused had committed it”.

The Judge did not believe that Candrawathi was sexually assaulted and sentenced her to 20 years in prison. Candrawathi’s personal assistant was sentenced to 15 years for the murder, and Chief Police Brigadier Ricky Rizal Wibowo 13 years for the involvement in the act. A much more lenient sentence was for Richard Eliezer Pudihang Limiu, a junior police officer and Sambo’s bodyguard. Despite shooting Hutabarat three or four times on the order of Sambo’s, he got just 18 months. Though a murder, Limiu faced an ethics committee which allowed him to remain in the police force, as of February 22nd this year.

‘Law lecturer on Tinder’

Turns out a PhD isn’t big enough to impress co-existing beings. Standard “my friend sent me it” so no bio to be ripped apart today team. Or the usual, ya know, photo with a fish. Or a deer. Or a pig. I’m sure it can’t be as bad as my ex who’s basically the Wish version of Percy Hynes White. Hopefully he’s jobless, like Percy.

‘5 Seconds of Hindi’

There’s one singer I never expected to like. Or listen to it on repeat. Nick Jonas. The one that married one of the top actresses in Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra. Dude has an odd face and the more I stare at it, I realise why Selena kept her purity ring. I’m still simping over his 5 seconds of Hindi in “Maan Meri Jaan”. We’re slowly colonising the colonisers. I’m pleased.

‘Tig gives up on international names’

Yes, a person with such a name exists. What is Notaro? Reminds me of the UN Charter for Pokémon, if that’s even possible. Anyways, this Tig, went to the Oscars but couldn’t be bothered learning three names. Names of the RRR team. Was Tom Cruise’s lookalike getting paid minimum wage (too) for this minimum effort?

‘Male lawyers are stingy with money’

A man brought his wife a tennis bracelet for $10k. That’s like, 5 years of my pay? I’m not sure. I don’t do maths. “A lawyer could never,” said my friends. Now, law school has already crushed many of my dreams, but this hurt the most. I can compromise and settle for a $10K ring though. No need for a bracelet.

the country who can see the shortlisted candidates. Just promise us you won’t tell anyone.

Jacinda Ardern

She was clearly bored and looking for something to do after stepping down as Prime Minister. Now, as cool as it would be to see a wāhine in charge, it can’t be said her background of politics would have provided a strong CV for footy.

Jak Rāta (Editor of Nexus):

A bit optimistic don’t you think, Jak? We get it, you were captain of your high school’s First XV (he wasn’t). You don’t need to keep letting us know everyday (he doesn’t).

Neil Quigley (Vice Chancellor):

Clearly being a leader of the university and chair of the Reserve Bank wasn’t enough for you. I’m sorry to say, but being the All Blacks coach is clearly just a step too far, mate.

Jamie Joseph:

Sorry Highlanders fans, but I mean, he never was going to get it. Anyway, who would want a coach that has two first names? I can’t trust that.